Dracunculus vulgaris

On Saturday, June 17th, another stink lily bloomed in our fern garden. Remember the stink lily that appeared in our blog in the spring? The spring blooming critter was Amorphophallus konjac. This specimen in these photos is Dracunculus vulgaris (aka Arum dracunculus) and is called the Dragon Arum, Voodoo Lily, Ragons, Snake Lily, Black Arum, Black Dragon, Dragonwort, or Stink Lily. In Greece it is called Drakondia, the dragon or serpent being the long spadex inside the enormous maroon-lipped spathe.

It is native to the Balkans, to Mediterranean Europe, Greece, the isle of Crete & the Aegean Islands, all the way to Southwest Turkey. In some places it's a veritable weed in its natural settings, albeit a weed of splendid countenance. Remember these flowers are in a group of critters that produce an extremely foul odor in order to attract insects. This one is no exception except that the smell lasts usually only one day.

Though it looks like it ought to be tropical, it is not and it transfers to the temperate garden with great ease, doing well in zones 5-8. Thanks to Sue and Ray Horton of Burien, Washington who gave us our first start of this exotic plant.